Lee Carsley gave his post match reaction to the added-on time 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at Griffin Park.
“First half I thought we were flat,” said Lee. “We took too many touches and a little boring in possession. Second half we were a lot better, a lot more creative and a bit more energy.
“We spoke about that at half time. Maybe the international break didn’t do us any favours; we looked a bit lethargic and took a bit of time to get our legs back. The longer the game went with ten men the stronger we became and obviously it’s always nice to score in injury time.”
The Head Coach decided to make a double substitution on the hour mark and it paid off handsomely, with Sergi Canos netting within two minutes and Philipp Hofmann scoring a dramatic added-on time winner.
“It’s important that both the subs make an impact,” said Lee. “We’ve got some real quality on the bench. You’ve got some lads that are itching to get involved and be part of the team and those two have done themselves a world of good today.”
One of the main talking points was the dismissal of defender Harlee Dean for violent conduct, despite the injured party, Jonathan Williams, dramatically falling to the turf and then springing to his feet straight afterwards.
“Harlee’s picked the ball up and spun round and I don’t think he’s realised the lad’s behind him,” said Lee. “It’s always poor when a player gets hit and they are up straight away.”
The 41-year-old spoke of the importance of still wanting to claim three points despite having a numerical disadvantage.
“It was important even with ten men we still wanted to try and win the game,” said Lee. “Especially when you’re at home in front of your own fans, you don’t want to be seen to be hanging on for a draw. Hopefully they picked that up from the sidelines that we weren’t going to sit in there and hope for the best.”
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